Marketing insights for selling to the world's toughest market. From Rick Spence

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Entrepreneurship - Act of Faith

Australian entrepreneur Yaro Starak runs several Internet-based businesses, as well as a thoughtful blog at http://www.entrepreneurs-journey.comHe wrote recently about the passion entrepreneurs have for their businesses, comparing it to religious faith. It’s essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how business owners tick. You can read the whole post here, or my condensed version below:

"I have a few friends that I meet with regularly who share my passion for business… For some their business enjoys the majority of their daily headspace, even surpassing the time contemplating sex (yes, these are male friends). Business has become a part of who they are… Business provides an entrepreneur with purpose. When times are tough faith keeps an entrepreneur working long after other people would have given up. While blind faith is not a good thing, certainly strong faith and courage of conviction are vital for any business person to carry on despite whatever obstacles are thrown at them.

Business provides an entrepreneur with meaning. An enlightened entrepreneur works towards building something that enhances many people’s lives. By creating a business that employs people, provides helpful products or services and creates prosperity for many, the sum effect is an expansion of positivity…

When business people get together they share the faith. Entrepreneurs discuss commerce, opportunities and advise each other on the best course of action in a given situation. It’s as if there are a set of rules, some written, some intuitively understood that are guiding these people. When entrepreneurs network they call on their collective understanding and knowledge to help each other and create something greater than the sum of the parts. It’s as if they are divinely inspired."

I think Yaro's right about how entrepreneurs getting together and discussing commerce is really an act of shared faith.

The best entrepreneurs I know are extremely generous about sharing ideas, connections and resources with fellow keepers of the flame. I think they see society as a closed loop. By helping you they believe they are helping themselves by supporting the greater ecosystem – even if they never see you again.

Of course, the other reason they help each other is because they don't believe anyone else will.Which is a huge opportunity for marketers who understand it.

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Writer, speaker and consultant on business growth, entrepreneurship and opportunity. My column appears weekly in the National Post. My speaking topics include innovation, best practices, social media, and the future of business success.
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